Crocked Hibs striker injury update as leading specialist delivers '100 per cent' verdict on ex-Fulham forward
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Kieran Bowie has gone under the knife to repair the devastating hamstring injury likely to keep him out of action well into 2025. And a leading specialist classifying the surgery as a “100 per cent” success should give the striker confidence to come flying back into football without fear of a recurrence, according to Hibs boss David Gray.
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Hide AdMarquee summer signing Bowie has yet to start a game for his new club, with the sports science staff at East Mains insisting on a slow and steady approach for the former Fulham man, who was still recovering from a hamstring problem when Hibs paid around £600,000 to recruit the former Raith Rovers star. But Scotland Under-21 boss Scott Gemmill did start the versatile attacker – with the blessing of Hibs – in back-to-back qualifiers last month.
Bowie limped out of action early in the second half of a 5-0 hammering of Malta that put the young Scots in contention to qualify for next year’s European Championship Finals in Georgia and Romania. Hibs quickly confirmed that their prized asset would be out for a MINIMUM of four months.
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Hide AdProviding an update on the crocked forward, Gray said: “Yeah, he needed an operation and unfortunately, he's going to be out for a number of weeks. so he'll be out for three or four months which is disappointing for him because he's worked so hard to get himself back to that level.
“Having been out and missed a bit of pre-season, he started here like a house on fire as well, so he's desperate to come home and do well. It's frustrating for him.
“But he's another one who's a positive character; he looks at the positives from it. The positives are that, because it's a sort of reoccurrence on the injury and he’s now had the op, he can put that behind him now and think: ‘Well that's it sorted now, let's push forward.’”
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Hide AdExplaining that the operation had been a complete success, Gray added: “Yes, 100 per cent. He went to see the top hamstring specialist and that was the feedback, that everything's gone as well as it can.
“Now it’s about recovery. Every day he comes in and works as hard as he can to make sure he's one day closer to being back to his best. That's his attitude, which is great to have.
“He’s also someone that the rest of the group need to get around as well because he is still a young boy, and we need to make sure we give him all the help we can.
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Hide Ad“So the focus now is on working to get fit. We’ve got great facilities here and he’ll be working hard every day.”
Gray believes 22-year-old Bowie will be pushing himself hard on the road to recover, saying: “The biggest thing I think whenever a player's injured, especially longer term is the character of the person and the drive to want to get back as quickly as they can. And I think he's definitely got that; you can see the way he plays.
“He's just desperate to get back on the grass again so he'll do everything he can to get back as quick ashe ca. But we need to make sure we do that safely as well.”